Roxy Hastings — page 186: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

— ee 5 “4 ve | ei eae : 5 4 - . ig . “; a . a - s POXY HASTINGS. 177 women,” added Laura, evidently much to the prisoner’s _ surprise. | ‘If nobody appears against him, miss, he’ll probably be discharged in a day or two, though they may send for you and compel you to come and testify. I couldn’t say; at any rate, we’ve no right to let him go.” “We might shut up the house and go away for a few days, Laura. How would that do?” ‘‘That would be capital, ma’am,” said the prisoner, who had been listening with great eagerness. ‘‘Oh, I did much more than that for you son, ma’am; just think of that.” While he spoke the folding doors slid a little way apart and a face so pale and ghost-like looked through, that the policemen seemed startled by the apparition. A thin white hand clung to each of the sliding doors, supporting the trembling figure which seemed framed between them, upon whose face and neck straggling locks of gray hair de- scended, dancing with the tremor which pervaded every hair of the agitated woman who had come so unexpectedly into view. Her eyes seemed strained to pierce the semi-darkness of the parlor, in the far end of which the officers and the felon sat, until accepting the quickly offered arm of Major Todd, she advanced toward them. ‘Where, where is he?” she asked, hurriedly, as she ap- proached the men. “ Where is my Lewy ?” “Here, Mrs. Eldon, here,” replied the widow, pointing to and almost touching the prisoner. “Tha man! Oh, thank God! Thank God! That is not my son.” Her voice barely held out for this utterance, when the delirium of joy overcame her, and she sank heavily to the floor. CHAPTER XXXIV. LAW OF KINDNESS. When Mrs. Eldon had recovered consciousness suffi- ciently to speak she reiterated to her astonished and de- lighted friends her assertion that the prisoner to whom all eyes now turned was not her son. “Oh, what a mountain it. has removed from my poor heart!” she said; “Lewy, my boy, is still innocent and good.” — | | ! | corr Comichbooks